What's the story?

I wanted the CIRCU5 album to have great songs and a good story. And I hope I've achieved that. I think you can just enjoy it for the music – and there's an intriguing narrative if you want to dig a bit deeper.

In a nutshell, CIRCU5 is a secret British government research group from the early 1970s. It aims to rid the world of psychopaths - but keep the best parts of psychopathy, such as fearlessness and confidence, to help the UK get ahead in business and the military.

CIRCU5 runs an experiment, which involves taking a baby boy, and raising it until age three to be a psychopath. After that, CIRCU5 members raise the child as adoptive parents until adulthood, and monitor him beyond.

Here's how the songs link with the story…

Coming Home: CIRCU5 members choose a new-born baby from a secret compound while morphine-addicted mothers look on. The baby will undergo conditioning – such as exposure to violence and isolation – to bring about psychopathic behaviour.

My Degenerate Mind: The child is now a middle-aged manager in a large firm. He's addicted to morphine and bullies his colleagues. He starts a controlling relationship with a female member of staff.

Stars: Deeply unhappy in the relationship, his girlfriend overdoses on his morphine supply. Depressed and suicidal, he moves into his parents' home.

Days Erased: His parents lock him in a room to withdraw from the drugs. He hallucinates a dark future world, reflecting his hatred of society.

Strings: While recovering, he overhears his parents referring to him as a 'Grady'. One night, they try to euthanise him. He awakes, overpowers and tortures them, and discovers the truth about CIRCU5. Enraged, he kills them.

Blame It On Me: He's captured and taken back into the CIRCU5 compound, where he reflects on his life so far.

The Amazing Monstrous Grady: He's isolated behind a glass panel, and subjected to various tests. He imagines himself as the murderous sideshow performer, Grady Stiles. A hallucinogenic aerosol is pumped into his cell.

The Chosen One – Baptism, Transfiguration, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension: The drug induces apocalyptic visions of committing mass slaughter and becoming a new messiah. A female member of CIRCU5 pities him, and frees him from the compound.

I hope that's given you a flavour of the album's story. There's a lot more to discover in the limited-edition CD - which includes a lavish 28-page booklet, 'secret' document, and download card - and all for just £9.99. Here's a quick look at what you get:

But hurry - the package won't be around forever at this low price. And by getting the album, you'll be helping me make more music for you with the CIRCU5 sequel.